PowerShot SD790IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Now first things first. I am upgrading from a Sony p-72 3.2 mega pixel camera that I got back in 2003. So there are many cameras out there that would be a big step up. I was only interested in a point and shoot and it had to be compact for traveling purposes. I would love a DSLR but they are pricey, bulky and did not fit my daily needs. I started reading around for a month or so to see what was out there and read all the pros and cons. I have read so much that I finally grew sick of it. In its basic form, all point and shoot cameras have +'s and -'s. It all depends on features that are most important to you and how you will be using the camera. After many reviews, forums, and websites I decided to go with the Canon 790IS. I was very apprehensive on the quality of picture this camera would provide due to manufacturers pushing the limitations of the sensor. The sweet spot for most point and shoots are 6-8MP. So what drew me to this camera? I was really impressed with the size, screen size, material that the camera was made out of (not cheap plastic), and most of the automated settings which make the camera very easy/quick . I didn't want to have to mess with manual settings on a point and shoot. My impression of a point and shoot is it is ready to go when I need it. Maybe 5-10 seconds to change the macro but that is it. If I have to spend much more than that, great picture opportunities would be lost. So I took the plunge and bought it here off of Amazon in addition to a 8 gig Sandisk ultra II for pictures and a spare battery. I am not going to go into what the camera comes with as other people have done a great job with that already. After three days of waiting, I got the camera. I was quickly impressed on the startup speed of the camera and quality of the pictures. I took 150 in the first day. The battery is still going strong. I also tried the higher ISO settings and they will only be good on a tripod. The 3200 iso macro that is in the camera is really good. It downgrades the 10 MP to 2ish but makes a really dark shot seem to be early evening. I used it many times and it worked great. Way better than what I am use to. You can do it manually but need to keep the camera stable or you will get a blur. I have had the camera for almost a month and I am very pleased with it. You can't go wrong with the Amazon price. It is 100$ lower than retail. The camera is very well built and does an excellent job as a point and shoot. Even quick when using the flash. So again, you need to look at what you will use the camera for and what features are important to you. This one satisfied all of my requirements and I am very happy with my purchase. As a side note: I recommend getting a screen protector for the large screen. It will be easily scratched if you put in your pocket with change or other objects. Just keep in mind you get what you pay for in screen protectors. Boxwave ones are highly rated and last forever. IT would suck to get a scratch across that beautiful 3inch screen.

This review is a combination of three: Canon PowerShot SD950IS 12.1MP (Titanium) Canon PowerShot SD770IS 10MP (Silver) Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP I first purchased the Canon SD950, and after loonnnggg shipping from Jr.com, I received it and tried it out. The camera is much bigger than the SD500 that I upgraded from--even though it's got so many bells and whistles. One thing about Canon that's got my eyebrow raised: Why the big font as if we can't read? The Image Stabilization is a wonderful thing, right along with the face detection. It even focused on an enlarged print of a little girl! The 3.7 zoom is nothing to frown at either. ISO is easier to set now so one can play around with the settings... The camera is made for "big hands" and it took me about two weeks of off and on shooting to get used to it. The 12MP quality is okay, and I didn't have to get used to too much new button placement. One thing I didn't like is the play button. I felt I had to really push my finger on the play button in order to view my photos. It annoyed me enough to see what else was out there. The Canons SD770 and SD790 were next on my list. Even though they were "only" 10MP, they had newer technology from Canon: Motion Detection and Infinity and cute buttons in all new small packages. SD770IS(Silver) First the SD770. This was a nice small camera! Not cheap feeling at all, Canon packed everything but the kitchen sink in there. I like the "Infinity" setting that the SD950 didn't have. Also, I have the silver version and it's nice, small, sleek, and takes great pictures. I didn't like the way the battery cover was not spring loaded. Also, either it was this particular camera or the 770 in general, but it seemed like I had to "dig" for the battery and SDHC card once put in. Yes, it's compact, hefty, and full of bells and whistles, but it was...kinda boring. Maybe because the silver color didn't have the pizazz of the black version that I'd read reviews on. Moving on to the SD790... SD790IS Bigger camera! Compared to the 770, it's a giant! The same size as the 950 except in a square/cube like form. The 950 is curvy, while the 790 is sleek and boxy (not sure if that's an oxymoron or not!). The 790 also has a new button format that I'm not sure if I like or not. I really enjoyed the SD500's button placement and while I can appreciate a "play" button...why not make it easy access instead of having to constantly press the button down? I'm thinking that the play buttons will eventually wear out. The big screen is nice, and even though I haven't used a viewfinder since...ever, it would be nice to "just have". So the lack of a viewfinder is a potential bummer. You never know when you gotta smear your nose on the photo screen to take pic! lol Also, the 790 is a fingerprint magnet. I tried to take the same pictures with all the cameras, but couldn't always (morning/evening, different zoom, etc.). Both the 770 and 790 have high ISO settings (as did the 950), but I didn't even use anything that high previously! All the pictures came out great. Even my crappy pictures of my messy coffee table were clear and colorful! One issue I had with all three cameras was the color accent setting. It seemed as if I got better black and white/one color photos from my SD500 than either of these cameras. I have to do a lot more tweaking. However, it could be just because of the balances of the colors and the lighting effects in my environment. If I just had to choose based on portability, photos, looks, bells/whistles, ease of use, I would go crazy trying to decide. Both cameras are amazingly small! The thing that keeps me wondering about the 770 is, "how can they fit all these specs in this TINY camera!?? But, I'm a sucker for good looks, so the scale points back to the SD790! True it's bigger than the 770, but it's still small considering the screen. I always take great care of my electronics, so I'm not so worried about fingerprints. If the button issue upsets me extremely, then I'll just upgrade to Canon's latest and greatest in 6-8 months. One more thing: I purchased the SanDisk 4 GB Extreme III SDHC Card w/ MicroMate USB Reader and it gets 900ish pictures on the 10MP versions at the highest settings. Either way, can't wait to take pics on the new SD790. I feel that although all three are great, the 790 has that sleekness with Canon's new technology all in one package. Get out, purchase any of these cams and you'd be satisfied.

I purchased this camera, and upon first using it, thought it was great. I took it on vacation and all the pictures in the LCD screen looked amazing. I got home, uploaded them and had them printed, and all my pictures turned out blurry. I checked and the settings were on the highest quality. There are a ton of different settings, but how to use them is confusing. I haven't had the same problems as other people with the camera falling apart. I've owned other digital cameras in the past that have been straightforward- very point and shoot oriented, which took far better pictures than this one. A friend of mine and my mother also bought the same camera, and have had similar experiences. I feel there is a way to get it to take great pictures, but it shouldn't be so hard to figure out. I've used the camera several times since that first vacation, trying different settings, and asking people who know about cameras how to use it. I have yet to be impressed with any of the pictures I print out.